Hand Tool

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a hand tool capable of clipping wires of different diameters. The hand tool of the present invention comprises a main body, at least one first clipping piece, at least one second clipping piece, and at least one elastic element. The at least one first clipping piece is pivoted to the main body, and the at least one first clipping piece forms a first clipping area. The at least one second clipping piece, which is stacked next to the at least one first clipping piece, is pivoted to the main body, and the at least one second clipping piece forms a second clipping area that is different from the first clipping area. The at least one elastic element provides clipping force to the at least one first clipping piece. By the above structure, a wire can be clipped at the first clipping area or at the second clipping area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hand tool, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a hand tool capable of squeezing and connecting wires of different diameters.

2. Description of the Related Art

A hand tool, such as a hand squeeze terminal wire connecting tool, is used for connecting a coaxial terminal to a wire with a corresponding diameter. However, in the prior art, there are so many kinds of coaxial terminals and wires that different hand tools are needed to connect coaxial terminals to wires with different diameters, which is not convenient.

Therefore, a hand tool is needed to solve the problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hand tool capable of clipping wires of different diameters.

To achieve the object mentioned above, the hand tool of the present invention comprises a main body, at least one first clipping piece, at least one second clipping piece, and at least one elastic element. The at least one first clipping piece is pivoted to the main body, and the at least one first clipping piece forms a first clipping area. The at least one second clipping piece, which is stacked next to the at least one first clipping piece, is pivoted to the main body, and the at least one second clipping piece forms a second clipping area that is different from the first clipping area. The at least one elastic element provides clipping force to the at least one first clipping piece. By the above structure, a wire can be clipped at the first clipping area or the second clipping area.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the at least one first clipping piece is two, and the amount of the at least one second clipping piece is two. The first clipping area and the second clipping area are round-shaped.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which disclose several embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for purposes of illustration only, and not as a definition of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hand tool of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the hand tool in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the hand tool with its second clipping pieces pulled open.

FIG. 3A is an illustration (from another angle) of the hand tool with its second clipping pieces pulled open.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of another embodiment of the first clipping piece and the second clipping piece for the hand tool of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the hand tool connecting a thinner wire.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the hand tool connecting a thicker wire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hand tool of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an illustration of the hand tool in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an illustration of the hand tool with its second clipping pieces pulled open.

In the present embodiment, the hand tool 1 is a terminal wire connecting tool. The hand tool 1 is capable of clipping wires of different diameters when used. More particularly, the hand tool 1 can connect a wire 90 to a corresponding terminal 92 (as shown in FIG. 5), and connect a wire 90 a to a corresponding terminal 92 a (as shown in FIG. 6), wherein the wire 90 and the wire 90 a have different diameters.

The hand tool 1 comprises a main body 80, a first clipping piece 10, and a second clipping piece 20. The main body 80 is a general term for other structures of a common terminal wire connecting tool; therefore, the main body 80 is not further described.

The first clipping pieces 10, 10 a are pivoted to the main body 80, and form a first clipping area 12. In the present embodiment, there are two first clipping pieces 10, 10 a, and the first clipping area 12 is round-shaped. More particularly, both the first clipping piece 10 and the first clipping piece 10 a have half-round openings corresponding to each other in order to form the round-shaped first clipping area 12.

The first clipping area 12 can apply force around an end of the wire 90 (as shown in FIG. 6). Because the first clipping area 12 is round-shaped, it can completely cover the end of the wire 90, and the clipping force from the hand tool can be more evenly applied to the wire 90 and the terminal 92.

The second clipping pieces 20, 20 a are also pivoted to the main body 80 and form a second clipping area 22. In the present embodiment, there are two second clipping pieces 20, 20 a, and the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a can be pulled open (as shown in FIG. 3). The second clipping piece 20 and the second clipping piece 20 a form the round-shaped second clipping area 22.

In the present embodiment, the structure of the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a is similar to the structure of the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. The difference is that the second clipping area 22 formed by the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a is smaller than the first clipping area 12 formed by the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. Therefore, the first clipping area 12 can clip the thicker wire 90, and the second clipping area 22 can clip the thinner wire 90 a.

The second clipping pieces 20, 20 a are stacked next to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. In the present embodiment, the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a are next to the inner side of the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. But the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a can also be next to the outer side of the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. The shapes of the first clipping area 12 and the second clipping area 22 are not limited by the above description.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the first clipping piece and the second clipping piece of the hand tool. The first clipping area 12 a and the second clipping area 22 a are U-shaped. In the present embodiment, the first clipping area 12 a formed by the first clipping pieces 10 b, 10 c, and the second clipping area 22 a formed by the second clipping pieces 20 b, 20 c, can only clip half of the end of the wire 90, 90 a, such that the clipping force is not applied evenly and may easily damage the terminals 92, 92 a if said terminals are made of a fragile material such as plastic. But if the terminals 92, 92 a are made of rigid material, such as steel, the U-shaped first clipping pieces 10 b, 10 c and the U-shaped second clipping pieces 20 b, 20 c can also work.

In the present embodiment, in order to deliver clipping force between the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a and the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a, such that they can move together, each of the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a comprises a first fixing unit 14 (as shown in FIG. 3), and each of the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a comprises a second fixing unit 24 (as shown in FIG. 3A). The shape and position of the first fixing unit 14 corresponds to the shape and position of the second fixing unit 24; therefore, the first fixing unit 14 can be fixed with the second fixing unit 24 such that they can move together.

In the present embodiment, the first fixing unit 14 is an elastic fixing bump, and the second fixing unit 24 is a corresponding recess. The elastic fixing bump consists of a bump and an elastic element (such as a spring). When the elastic fixing bumps of the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a are fixed with the recess of the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a, the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a and the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a can move together. In addition, the elastic fixing bumps can apply force to the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a in order to link the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a and the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a more tightly.

However, the first fixing unit 14 and the second fixing unit 24 can be other structures as listed below:

(1) The first fixing unit 14 is a simple bump, and the second fixing unit 24 is a corresponding recess. When the bump is inserted in the recess, the first fixing unit 14 is fixed with the second fixing unit 24.

(2) The first fixing unit 14 is a first magnet, and the second fixing unit 24 is a second magnet. The first fixing unit 14 can be fixed with the second fixing unit 24 by the magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet.

(3) The first fixing unit 14 is a first latch, and the second fixing unit 24 is a corresponding second latch. When the first latch is latched onto the second latch, the first fixing unit 14 is fixed with the second fixing unit 24.

Furthermore, the structure of the first fixing unit 14 can be interchanged with the structure of the second fixing unit 24. For example, the first fixing unit 14 is a recess, and the second fixing unit 24 is an elastic fixing bump.

In the present embodiment, in order to put the wires 90, 90 a into the first clipping area 12 and/or the second clipping area 22, each of the first and second clipping pieces 10, 10 a, 20, 20 a comprises a slanted side 16, 26 respectively.

The elastic element 30 provides clipping force to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. In the present embodiment, the elastic element 30 is a U-shaped spring. However, the elastic element 30 is not limited by the above description. There are another two arrangements listed below:

(1) The amount of the elastic element 30 can be two for providing clipping force to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a and to the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a respectively.

(2) The amount of the elastic element 30 is one, and the elastic element 30 is pivoted to the main body 80 for selectively providing clipping force to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a or to the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a. More particularly, the elastic element 30 can be rotated to move from the position of clipping with the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a to the position of clipping with the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 is an illustration of the hand tool connecting a thinner wire. FIG. 6 is an illustration of the hand tool connecting a thicker wire.

As shown in FIG. 5, when connecting the thinner wire 90 (its diameter corresponds to the second clipping area 22), the wire 90 is first slid down from the slanted sides 26 to the second clipping area 22. Because the first clipping area 12 is bigger than the second clipping area 22, the wire 90 is mainly clipped by the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a. And the clipping force provided by the elastic element 30 is delivered from the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a. When the first fixing unit 14 is fixed with the second fixing unit 24, the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a, can move together with the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a; therefore, the clipping force of the elastic element 30 applied to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a is delivered to the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a in order to clip the wire 90 in the second clipping area 22.

Please refer to FIG. 6. When connecting the thicker wire 90 a (its diameter corresponds to the first clipping area 12), the second clipping pieces 20, 20 a are pulled open first, and then the wire 90 a is slid down from the slanted sides 16 to the first clipping area 12. The wire 90 a is clipped by the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a at the first clipping area 12. The clipping force applied to the first clipping pieces 10, 10 a is applied directly from the elastic element 30.

In the present embodiment, the hand tool uses two layers of clipping pieces for clipping wires of two different diameters. However, the hand tool of the present invention can also use three or more layers of clipping pieces for clipping wires of three or more different diameters.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A hand tool for clipping wires of different diameters, the hand tool comprising: a main body; at least one first clipping piece pivoted to the main body, the at least one first clipping piece forming a first clipping area; at least one second clipping piece pivoted to the main body, the at least one second clipping piece forming a second clipping area that is different from the first clipping area; the at least one second clipping piece is stacked next to the at least one first clipping piece; and at least one elastic element for providing clipping force to the at least one first clipping piece; wherein a wire can be clipped at the first clipping area or the second clipping area.
 2. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first clipping area or the second clipping area is round-shaped.
 3. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic element is a U-shaped spring.
 4. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one first clipping piece further comprises a first fixing unit, the at least one second clipping piece further comprising a second fixing unit, and the first fixing unit can be fixed with the second fixing unit such that they can move together respectively.
 5. The hand tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fixing unit is an elastic fixing bump, and the second fixing unit is a corresponding recess.
 6. The hand tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fixing unit is a bump, and the second fixing unit is a corresponding recess.
 7. The hand tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fixing unit is a first magnet, and the second fixing unit is a second magnet.
 8. The hand tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fixing unit is a first latch, and the second fixing unit is a corresponding second latch.
 9. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first clipping area or the second clipping area is U-shaped.
 10. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one elastic element is two; the two elastic elements are for providing clipping force to the at least one first clipping piece and the at least one second clipping piece respectively.
 11. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one elastic element is one; the elastic element is pivoted to the main body for selectively providing clipping force to the at least one first clipping piece or the at least one second clipping piece.
 12. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one first clipping piece is two, and the amount of the at least one second clipping piece is two.
 13. The hand tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the at least one first clipping piece and each of the at least one second clipping piece comprises a slanted side respectively.
 14. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand tool is a terminal wire connecting tool. 